Nandkumar M. Kamat
January 6, celebrated as the Feast of the Epiphany (Feast of the Three Kings), is an important festival day in Cansaulim, Chandor, and Reis de Magos. Each location is historic and archaeologically important. The unique celebration occurs at Our Lady of Remedios Chapel on picturesque Cuelim Hill, ‘Saibinicho donor” at Cansaulim, a possible ancient archaeoastronomical location. The hilltop offers a mesmerising and panoramic view of the land, horizon, and open sky.
The festival is also celebrated at Our Lady of Bethlehem Church in Chandor, the ancient Chandrapur, capital of Goa, from BCE 300 to AD 1050. Closer to Panaji, facing the Mandovi estuary, we have the magnificent Holy Magi Kings Church, Reis Magos, popularly known as the Reis Magos Church. This year, the GTDC and tourism department has taken the lead in showcasing this festival for domestic and international tourists interested in this unique festival, celebrated with enthusiasm only in Goa in the east of Suez, Asia.
Archaeoastronomy investigates how celestial alignments influenced religious rituals, agricultural cycles, and cultural narratives. The Star of Bethlehem’s association with the birth of Jesus highlights humanity’s historical inclination to interpret celestial events as divine signs. The Gospel of Matthew’s description of the star guiding the Magi is a theological motif and reflects an era when the heavens were viewed as both a calendar and a compass. Societies across the ancient world, from Mesopotamia to the Indian subcontinent, relied on such celestial markers for guidance. In this context, the Magi, skilled in Babylonian astronomy, would have interpreted an extraordinary celestial event—such as a comet, conjunction, or nova—as a harbinger of a significant terrestrial event. The legend of the Star of Bethlehem has long been a focal point for discussions linking astronomy, history, and theology.
Beyond its theological implications, this narrative invites a deeper exploration of archaeoastronomy—the study of how ancient societies understood and utilised celestial phenomena—and its connection to festivals such as Goa’s Three Kings Feast. The feast, combines religious symbolism with elements of celestial reverence, drawing parallels with ancient practices of observing the skies to mark sacred events. The Magi’s gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh hold profound cultural and spiritual symbolism. Each item reflected a dimension of Jesus’ identity and mission. Gold is a symbol of kingship and divine authority. It also represented Jesus as the “King of Kings”. It was also a practical offering, aiding the Holy Family’s journey to Egypt. Frankincense, heavily imported into Goa from Oman, is used in temple rituals and symbolises divinity and priestly intercession. This aromatic resin highlighted Jesus’ role as the spiritual mediator between God and humanity. Myrrh is often associated with embalming. It foreshadowed Jesus’ sacrificial death and humanity’s redemption. It also symbolised healing, connecting to his role as a healer and saviour.
The Three Kings legend has inspired art, music, and literature worldwide. The tradition of exchanging gifts during Christmas also draws from the Magi’s offerings, symbolising the sharing of love and divine blessings. The feast, commemorating the arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem, reflects this celestial connection. In our state, the feast also resonates with pre-Christian traditions, including indigenous communities that revered celestial bodies and natural cycles. The feast incorporates processions, rituals, and gatherings that symbolise guidance, revelation, and divine purpose—concepts mirrored in the star guiding the Magi.
Recent advancements in archaeoastronomy have shed light on how celestial phenomena influenced the timing and nature of festivals. Studies on ancient observatories and alignments of monuments suggest that many cultural celebrations, including those in the Christian liturgical calendar, were strategically synchronised with solstices, equinoxes, or other astronomical events. The Church’s decision to designate January 6 as the Feast of the Epiphany aligns with this tradition. Although the precise alignment of the Star of Bethlehem with such events remains debated, the symbolic connection to celestial phenomena is clear. Astronomers and archaeoastronomers have explored various celestial events around the period of Jesus’ birth to explain the Star of Bethlehem. While the 5 BCE comet remains the most plausible candidate, its interpretation within the context of Babylonian astronomy underscores the Magi’s expertise in celestial observation. Babylonian astronomers meticulously recorded planetary movements, conjunctions, and comets, associating them with omens and divine messages. For instance, the rare triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces in 7 BCE and the tailless comet recorded in 4 BCE would have been significant enough to inspire journeys or rituals.
In the Goan context, the Three Kings Feast synthesises Christian theology and older, localised traditions emphasising celestial reverence. The star, symbolically central to the feast, serves as a reminder of humanity’s enduring fascination with the cosmos. The feast’s rituals, including the ascent to hilltop shrines, echo ancient practices where high vantage points were chosen to observe celestial phenomena. In addition, the timing of the feast shortly after the winter solstice aligns with a period historically marked by celebrations of light and renewal.
Recent studies in archaeoastronomy have also explored parallels between the Star of Bethlehem and celestial traditions in South Asia. The Indian subcontinent, including Goa, has a long history of integrating astronomical observations into cultural practices. For example, aligning certain temples and rituals with solstices and equinoxes demonstrates an understanding of celestial patterns. We have probably lost the knowledge of the ancient pre-Portuguese locations used as solstice points and observatories. However, it is plausible that one such ancient observatory existed near the old temple of Mhalsa at Verna and another near Our Lady of Remedios Chapel, known as Three Kings Chapel, on picturesque Cuelim Hill. It offers a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape and horizon. Such elevated locations were significant in pre-Christian cultures, often serving as sites for observing celestial events, including the rising and setting of the sun, moon, and stars. An ancient monolithic sundial discovered among the archaeological remains at Verna points to the sophisticated understanding of celestial movements in pre-Portuguese Goa. Interestingly, all three sites where the feast is celebrated are close to the river or the Arabian Sea.
The tradition of celebrating Christmas in Goa was probably introduced thousand years before the arrival of the Portuguese by the traders, sailors, and navigators from Persia belonging to Saint Thomas Christians, as evidenced by the sixth-century granite Pahlavi Cross found by archaeologist Fr. Cosme Da Costa in 2001 at Agacaim and displayed at the museum of the major seminary of Pilar. It shows that traders from Mesopotamia, a region famous for its archaeoastronomical heritage, could have introduced the Three Kings’ Festival in Goa.
While the Christian narrative of the Star of Bethlehem originates outside South Asia, its integration into Goan culture through the Three Kings Feast highlights a localised interpretation of universal celestial themes. Scientific rigour remains crucial in evaluating the Star of Bethlehem and its connection to the Three Kings Feast. The symbolic use of the star, combined with evidence from archaeoastronomy, underscores the profound impact of celestial phenomena on human history and culture. Studying the feast and its associated narratives offers valuable insights into how communities have historically sought meaning in the cosmos. By connecting the Star of Bethlehem to the Three Kings Feast, modern scholars and practitioners can appreciate the confluence of science, faith, and tradition, maintaining a balance between scientific inquiry and cultural reverence. Locals and visitors should not miss the feast tomorrow.
